Re: Emergency Nurse Relief Act 2009- Update Originally Posted by Hushdawg 
...and I firmly believe that what is in the best interests of Americans is to ensure that there are sufficient nurses in hospitals to provide healthcare to Americans when they are ill.
I don't care whether they hold a green card or were born in that same hospital.
I just want to know that if my father has a heart attack and is hospitalized that his nurse will not be having to divide time among 50 other patients.
Of course, when one is sick, a competent nurse should be available, it is immaterial the race, the age, the creed, the sex,
of the nurse. States have nurse patient ratios, department of public health and Joint Commission monitor that patients get safe care. I have never seen one nurse with 50 patients, ever in a hospital. Most ratios are between 4-6 patients.
I think this is the crux of the issue, I don't see they need to bring nurses in. Not today in 2009, who knows what the need is 2010 it would be guess. The current national trend is decreased hospital admissions and decreased services.. And you would need a crystal ball to predict what the need will be.
Right now hospitals are downsizing, with some hospitals closing. Health care reform is looming, last time there was a shift in healthcare ( 1980s and 90s) with the birth of HMOs and many many nursing positions were cut. The focus of this reform is to streamline care, in my state where we have had reform with Mandatory Health Care for all nursing positions were cut.
It is more expensive to import foreign nurses, I believe that hospitals will be looking for the least expensive option to recruit nurses.
When the dust settles and their is a vision for National Healthcare, that all Americans who wish to practice nursing have had the option to go to school, and there the vacancy rate is high over 10%. The hospitals should follow the ethical guidelines to allow foreign nurses to come to practice. In my opinion as a practicing nurse who is on the front line, there is no emergency.
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